In 1956, the CDC’s Influenza Branch in Atlanta was designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Surveillance, Epidemiology & Control of Influenza.

The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) was created by World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor the evolution of influenza viruses. The CDC branch is the largest global resource and reference center supporting public health interventions to control and prevent pandemic and seasonal influenza.